The present invention pertains to the loading of muzzle-loading firearms. More particularly, the invention relates to a multiple chambered device for quickly and easily reloading a muzzle-loaded firearm.
There are various implements known in the prior art which facilitate the loading of muzzle-loading firearms. These generally fall into two categories: carriers, that is, devices which simply carry all of the necessary elements for loading in a convenient container, and loaders, devices which carry the elements as a prepared load or loads which may be directly transferred to the firearm. Some of the loaders are designed to carry multiple prepared shots; these multiple loaders offer the advantage of rapid reloading a number of times in succession. Of the carriers, some include a means of measuring the powder as it is preloaded into the device, which allows for increased accuracy in loading the powder. One loader offers a means of visually verifying the amount of powder held in the loading device. None of the known devices, excepting the present invention, provides multiple shot loading capability with a means of directly measuring powder as it is put in the device and a means of visually verifying the prepared load contained in the device.
Devices such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,517, to Mansfield, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,620 to Drake, et al., are typical examples of the cylindrical and linear formats devised for multitude loaders. In order to load these devices, one must weigh or premeasure the desired amount of powder prior to putting the powder in the loading device because no measuring means is included to assist the loading procedure. In addition, neither Mansfield nor Drake provides a means for the visual inspection of the preloaded powder, patch and ball in the device. Another device, U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,303 to DeWeert et al., a single shot loader, provides a graduated shaft to indicate the amount of powder charge in the loading device, which also functions as a priming rod to push the load into the muzzle of the firearm. DeWeert, however, has a significant limitation in that it is designed for a single shot use. Finally of interest is a carrier, U.S. Pat. No. 4,112,606 to Griffin, which discloses an elongated graduated container for carrying the powder, which must be poured from the container into the muzzle of the gun. Griffin is similarly limited for one shot use only. While the above referenced single shot devices may offer increased accuracy in the preparation of the powder charge, the single shot limitation, of course offering no means to reload more than once in succession, renders these devices slower than the multiple shot devices if more than one reload is desired.
Other loaders such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,094,098 to Gourley, U.S. Pat. No. 163,404, to Phillips, and U.S. Pat. No. 11,174 to Peavey, are all multiple shot devices. While these multiple shot devices offer the advantage of speed in reloading the firearm, all lack a means to facilitate the rapid, accurate reloading of the device itself, and a means of visually inspecting the various loads contained within the device. The lack of a measuring means in these devices creates an inherent lack of accuracy in preparing the preloads in the devices. The present invention overcomes the limitations known to the art by providing a single device having multiple load carrying capability, rapid multiple reloading capability, and rapid and accurate loading of the speed-loading device.